Learn about the reasons for unexplained weight loss

Learn about the reasons for unexplained weight loss

Weight loss is usually normal when it is associated with a clear and known health cause, such as adopting a healthy diet and exercising.

But sometimes a decrease in body weight may occur without a clear cause associated with that, which is called the term unexplained weight loss.

More than 5% of body weight is lost during a period of time ranging from six months to a year, which may cause some concern and the need to search for the underlying cause of this problem.

In the following, we will learn about the most important and most prominent causes of unjustified weight loss and ways to treat it:

Reasons for unexplained weight loss

There are several reasons for losing weight, some of which are physical, and sometimes psychological, and the most important reasons for unjustified weight loss include the following:

1. Cancer 

Sometimes, other symptoms associated with the same disease may occur before weight loss occurs, but these symptoms vary according to the type and location of the tumor.

So weight loss may be the most obvious symptom, as in cases of stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, or pancreatic cancer.

2. Hyperthyroidism 

Although this disease is associated with many symptoms, such as excessive sweating, rapid heart rate, sleep problems, and excessive nervousness, in the initial stages, these symptoms may not appear clear, and weight loss appears without justification.

3. Anxiety and depression

Anxiety and depression are among the reasons for unjustified weight loss, as people with psychological problems tend most of the time to stay away from food as a result of loss of appetite. 

Some sufferers also resort to relieving their anxiety by excessive smoking, which increases the loss of appetite due to the nicotine contained in cigarettes.

4. Malabsorption syndrome 

Infection with some diseases leads to problems absorbing nutrients inside the intestines, which leads to several symptoms, including weight loss, and these diseases include the following:

• digestion dysfunction.
• Ulcerative colitis.
• peptic ulcer;
• Crohn's disease .
• 
  

5. Side effects of some medicines 

Taking some medications can lead to dry throat, loss of appetite and heartburn, leading to discomfort, a change in eating habits and the possibility of weight loss.

6. Other reasons for unexplained weight loss 

In addition to the above reasons for unjustified weight loss, there are other reasons as follows:

• diabetic.
• Some types of viral, bacterial, or parasite infections, such as: AIDS or tuberculosis.
• Alcoholism or drug abuse.
• Excessive intake of laxatives.
• Diseases related to difficulty swallowing .
• Dementia.
• Eating disorders, such as: bulimia or anorexia.

Unexplained weight loss treatment

Weight loss treatment depends on determining the underlying cause of this problem. The doctor takes the patient’s health history with a clinical examination, in addition to the possibility of doing some laboratory tests to reach the correct diagnosis and treat the condition if possible. 

Treatment is often aimed at preventing or preventing the patient from losing more weight, by following a special diet as part of a strategy to increase food intake.